The contrast was difficult to miss at Talkatora Stadium on Monday. As Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and BJP national president Nitin Nabin joined other senior leaders to flag off vehicles carrying sacred urns at the conclusion of a major programme organised to mark the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Shiromani Guru Ravidas Maharaj, rainwater had accumulated across the stadium premises, with several people and vehicles, including those carrying noted guests, navigating through waterlogged stretches.The leaders were standing on a raised platform outside the auditorium as party workers, security personnel, media personnel and others gathered around them. Just below the platform, the approach area was covered with a substantial layer of rainwater.The waterlogging was visible even as the ceremonial flag-off was under way. Vehicles could be seen moving through the waterlogged stretch, while people attending the programme stood in or walked through the accumulated water.The scene was particularly striking because the programme was attended by the Delhi CM, BJP national president, the Assembly Speaker, Delhi ministers, MPs, MLAs and other senior leaders.The event was being held at one of the capital’s prominent public venues, yet the rain had left parts of its immediate premises inundated.Photographs taken by the correspondent also show a large gathering assembled around the stage, with saffron flags being carried during the ceremony. Several attendees were seen trying to negotiate the waterlogged area while the proceedings continued.The episode raises questions over arrangements at the venue and the preparedness of civic and event-management agencies to deal with heavy rain. With Delhi repeatedly facing waterlogging during spells of intense rainfall, the condition at a venue hosting senior government and ruling-party leaders also puts the spotlight on the city’s drainage and water-management infrastructure.The irony was stark. A high-profile public ceremony was taking place while the ground immediately around it remained waterlogged with rainwater.There was no immediate information available on whether the waterlogging was caused by inadequate drainage at the venue. However, the capital witnessed rain showers on Monday morning.The NDMC was contacted for comment, but there appeared to be no immediate information on the issue. The officer in charge of Talkatora Stadium said over the phone, “I will ask about the incident you mentioned and get it checked.”The visuals from Talkatora Stadium are likely to add to the wider debate over Delhi’s preparedness for monsoon-related waterlogging, particularly when even high-profile venues hosting senior political leaders are not insulated from the problem.